Combined saddletree and elastic checkrein and back-strap holder.



N0. 7l6,5l2. Patented Doc. 23, I902. J. I. AYBES.

COMBINED SADDLETBEE AND ELASTIC CHEGKREIN AND BACK STRAP HOLDER.

(Application filed Aug. 11, 1902.)

(N0 Model.)

Q/vihwowo Urrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES I. AYRES, OF ATLANTIC, IOWA.

COMBINED SADDLETREE AND ELASTIC CHECKREIN AND BACK-STRAP HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,512, dated December 3, 1902- Application filed August 11, 1902. Serial No. 119,323. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES I. AYREs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlantic, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Saddletree and Elastic Checkrein and Back-Strap Holder,

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to harness, and pertains particularly to the class of elastic attachments for harness, the object of the invention being to provide a saddletree of novel and peculiar construction having contained therein an elastic checkrein and back-strap holder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a saddletree with a shell or barrel having aspiral spring contained therein, a checkrein-hook having an arm attached to one end of the spring and passing therethrough, and a back-strap loop having an armextending through the spring and attached to the other spring end.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a saddletree with a hollow bridgepiece or shell having guides therein and detachable caps and to provide a pair of plates working through the caps and to one end of which is secured the ends of a spring and the other ends having one a checkrein-hook and the other a back-strap loop.

Various similar forms of elastic devices such as mine have been used in connection with harness; but as far as known to me said devices when used as checkrein and back-strap holders are attached to an ordinary saddletree or used independent thereof, so that the saddletree does not form any part of the holder. Hence it is my purpose to have the saddletree constitute a part of the holder, to dispense with the ordinary saddle,and to substitute therefor ahollow bridge-piece to hold a pair of spring-controlled slidable plates therein, so that their ends project outside the bridge for attaching a checkrein and a backstrap.

Other objects, advantages, and improved results accruing from the special construction and arrangement of parts will be revealed in the specification and set up in the claims to follow.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my saddletree applied to a harness. Fig. 2 is a perspective view with the saddletree stripped of its mountings. Fig. 3 is a sectional View longitudinally through the saddle-bridge and spring-controlled plates. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the hook-plate. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the loop-plate. Fig. 6 is a sectional View of a modification.

The same numeral references denote the same parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The saddletree may have the usual trimmings, such as acover and pads, and its arms 1 are provided with a slot 2 for securing the rein-rings 3 thereto. The arms 1 are joined together by a shell or barrel 4:, having an increased thickness 5 extending from one arm to the other the width of the arms and forming a hollow bridge between the arms, so that a tree-seat is formed at the juncture of the bridge, and the arms and the shoulders are such as to elevate the bridge out of contact with the back of a horse. secured in one of the bridge ends, with an interval or space 7 between them, and the ends of the bridge are provided with detachable screw-caps 8 and 9, having a central aperture.

The harness back-strap 10 is attached to a loop 11 of a plate 12, having a slot 13 and working through the cap 8. The overdraw or checkrein 14 is secured to a book 15 of the plate 16 and works through the cap 9 in the space 7 and is prevented from turning by the guide-bars 6.

Housed by the bridge 4 and the caps 8 and 9 and encircling the plates 12 and 16 is a spiral spring 17, having one end extended through and secured to the end of the loop plate 12, and the other end is passed through the slot 13 and extended through the end of the hook-plate 16. The projecting ends of the spring not only connect the spring to the plates 12 and 16, but form an abutment for the spring.

In assembling the parts the screw-caps are slid over their respective plates, the spring Guide-bars 6 are secured to one of the plates, and the latter, with the spring, inserted in the bridge from one end thereof. The other plate is inserted from the other end of the bridge through the guide-bars and the spring, and the other end of the spring is passed through the end of this plate, whereby the spring and plates are connected. Then the caps are screwed in position on the ends of the bridge.

It is obvious that the plates are permitted to slide upon each other by the end of the spring sliding in the slot 13 and that the spring equalizes the pull between the checkrein and back-strap. There being a direct connection between the checkrein and the back-strap they work independent of the sad dletree, and the position of the latter is not changed or disturbed by such Working. It

'will be seen that the saddletree is free to seat itself according as occasion may demand without interfering with the spring tension or the operation of the spring on the checkrein and back-strap.

The manner of assembling the parts and their connection with the saddletree will be found most simple and convenient and readily operated for repairing or adjustment, and the parts are well protected from dust, rust, and corrosion by the bridge and its caps.

Referring to the modification shown in Fig. 6, the hook-plate 18 is provided with a pin 19 to Work in the slot of the loop-plate and against which one end of the spring works; otherwise the device is the same as that hereinbefore described and the operation is the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A harness-saddietree having a hollow bridge and screw-caps combined with an elastic checkrein and back-strap holder contained in the bridge and comprising a strap-loop plate working through one of said caps, a checkrein-hook plate working through the other cap, and a spiral spring surrounding and connecting the plates slidably together.

2. A harness-saddletree having a hollow bridge and apertured screw-caps to close the bridge, combined with an elastic checkrein and back-strap holder contained in the bridge and comprising a plate working through one of the caps and having a loop and a slot, a plate working through the other cap and havmg a hook, and a spiral spring surrounding the plates and having one end secured to the loop-plate and the other end projected through said slot and secured to the hookplate.

3. An elastic checkreinand back strap holder, comprising a plate having a loop and a slot extending from the loop, a plate having a hook and slidable over the slot, and a spring surrounding the plates and having one end secured to the loop-plate and the other end passed through the slot and through the hook-plate, whereby the plates are slidably connected and elastically controlled.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES I. AYRES.

Witnesses:

R. M. MURRAY, JOHN HUDSPETH. 

